etan_lightstone

Lucas, more than likely it isn't a technology issue.. its a marketing issue.

 

The last thing canon or nikon wants to do is threaten sales of their high end cameras (or low end cameras for that matter) by introducing products that blur the ligns between their consumer cameras and their pro cameras.

 

An affordable 8mp version of the 5D or 1ds would be a serious threat.

 

And might I add that I've made perfectly sharp prints of 12x18 in size with my 6 megapixel Canon 300D.

William, I find your question a little strange.

 

You seem to state when to use your own lens quite clearly. "Tight quarters", wider lens. Larger room, longer lens.

 

If you find you're missing shots, switch lenses. The 70-200 will be of no use to you if the subject you're shooting is a few steps away.

 

That said... you can always back up a little and shoot at 70mm if you're in a jam and don't have time to change the lens.

 

This idea that buying a lens of any kind will make someone take better pictures is just false. People are convinced that all they need is a particular lens, and it will fastly improve their photography. It just really isn't the case most of the time.

 

It's just a tool. Use it when your wide angle isn't working for you.

Honestly.. I think feature wise the Rebel XT comes out slightly ahead.

 

But either one will suit your needs just fine.

 

Without a little more criteria, its pretty hard to make any more recommendations. I'll have to assume you don't own any lenses currently.

 

What is the firm you have started? Is it a photography business, or another type of business that just happens to need pictures taken often? I can't imaging taking macros/landscapes/and dogs all fit in to the business plan :)

 

Anyhow if cost is an issue.. the best "all around" lenses you can get at this time are: the 18-55 (or 18-70 if you want to pay a bit more) KIT lens. It may not be the sharpes lens on the planet, but for the price (when included with the camera) it can't be beat.

 

As a second lens you'll want a telephoto zoom. There are many cheap 75-300mm zooms... all of them are mediocre, but may suit your needs. There are some faster, sharper, 70-200 f2.8 lenses out there that are also very highly regarded. You mentioned macro... so I might suggest a sigma 105mm macro, good price... good lens.

 

It would really help if you explained what your firm is about.

If you can get over the slightly lower "build quality" of the 350D, it's overall a better camera than the 10D.

 

More megapixels, plus its compatible with the Canon EF-S lenses (which the 10D is not), might be a bit faster too. Probably more lightweight, which I consider an advantage.

 

10D uses canon's old image processing technology... the 350D uses image processing similar to the 20d.

 

Don't get the 10D

i shoot digital mostly.. but from what I've read, its bad to use velvia with portraits. You'll end up with too much saturation

I said "work best".. I didn't say ONLY work.

 

They are most effective at shorter focal lengths.

If you really are leaning towards the tamron 90 macro, I'd at least check out the Sigma 105 macro, and the Sigma 150 macro.

 

They are all good prices, good build quality.

 

The Pheonix lens mentioned above is only 1:2 magnification, and only 1:1 with the supplied screw on adapter. It's focus motor is near horrible, not a pleasure to use if you're going to use your macro lens as a regular lens as well (I.e. portraits). Don't waste your money.

All I can say is process of elimination. Hopefully you purchased your XT / lens at a local store that you have a repore with.

 

go there with your gear, test out the lens on another XT, test out your XT on another copy of that lens.

 

If you can prove that its your XT, then maybe you can claim warranty? Although it sounds to me like you've had your XT for too long. I might try writing a nice letter to Canon... they might take pity on you.

 

If its just that copy of the lens.. then obviously this simplifies the solution... since you just got it yesterday.

 

Worst case scenario is you don't use the 24mm 2.8 lens :) On a Rebel XT its not the most useful prime lens to have anyways.

 

I'd look at the Tamron 28-75 2.8 , or the Sigma 24-70 2.8 (although that one gets mixed reviews), or any number of third party alternatives if you are in terrible need of having a prime lens of that length.

Extension tubes only work best for lenses around 50mm. The advantage is its just a tube.. so there is NO degredation of optical quality.

 

I'm not going to explain how the optics work.. but basically with an extension tube... the shorter the focal length the greater the magnification. But... once you reach around 20mm, the inifity focus distance actually becomes a plane INSIDE the actual lens... which is bad.

 

Anyhow at the 80mm setting you might notice some magnification, but at 200 almost none.

 

With a lens like that as mentioned above.. its recommended that you use something like the canon 500d close-up filter. Those are made for telephotos.

 

The 77mm one is $140 at b&H which isn't too bad. Still a ton cheaper than any REAL macro lens. Plus you don't the added annoyance of having to remove and remount your lens with a tube everytime you need to take a macro shot... you just have to screw on the front filter.

After doing a bit of research, it seems the banding is caused by the Camera image sensor, but as a result of electrical interference.

 

When using the autofocus motors of a few lenses, it creates enough of an electrical (magnetic or radio) signal to create banding on the XT (or even 20d) at high ISOs.

 

It's especially bad if you're using a continuous focus mode (like AI Servo), as opposed to the single shot lock autofocus.

 

Were you using continuous focus? Try single shot (one time focus) with the same settings, and see if the banding is gone.

 

If heard the 50 1.4 you own also can create similar intereference.

 

Remember it's usually visible only above iso400 and worse if you use continuous autofocus.

Yes but the Katzeye focus screen will disable autofocus, what if I want to switch between manual and auto lenses?

 

It's not a good option for me.

If you're not going to use a hood.. which will probably have only a minimal if not non-existant effect on contrast, then you should at least protect your lens with a UV filter.

 

Also, if you're constantly shoving your camera back in your bag... then by all means forget the hood. It's really only convenient if you have the camera dangling about for a long period of time.

 

Do get a good quality UV filter though... B+W, or Hoya multi coated if you want to save a little money.

Technically speaking John, regardless of whatever circuitry exists inside a modern autofocus lens... the actual AF sensors reside inside the viewscreen area (or mirror or pentaprism) of a modern DSLR. There is no reason why it couldn't "detect" focus in a manual lens any differently than an AF lens. The only thing it needs to do inside the lens is have the motor respond in either direction, and the aperture of course.

Well... how is it the AF Sensor in the d70 is able to show focus is acheived with manual lenses?

I've been told this is possible with the d70, can the focus indicator

"dot" confirm focus is acheived with manual zeiss or m42 lenses on my

300D?

 

What about the 10D ? could I use the firmware hack on my 300d?

In that case.. amusingly. You'd be better off using your old manual nikon lenses on an Canon Digital rebel.. by use of adapter. And then buy regular canon autofocus lenses down the road.

Nobody seems to have mentioned that the 10D isn't compatible with Canon's new EF-S lenses.

 

Regardless of the viewfinder issue... the 10D's 1.6x crop sensor will be a BIG problem if you can't make use of Canon's EF-S lenses.

 

Also the 350D is 8 megapixels... which might be a slight advantage when making larger prints.

As many posters above me have subconciously suggested... this is more of a financial question than a camera gear question.

 

Assuming the f4 lens isn't good enough for you and you truely need the 2.8 (which I won't argue... since that isn't the question your asking).

 

You can assume you'll lose about $150 USD minimum by selling the f4 lens, and later aquiring the 2.8.

 

You might as well calculate how much interest a loan would cost you over the 6 months it would then take you to pay off the difference for the 2.8 lens.... if interest smaller than 150 , get load.. buy 2.8 now.

 

if interest greater than 150 buy f4.. and figure it all out in 6 months.

 

Assuming you don't have any other lens in this focal range that might be crappy.. but nonetheless might hold you over for 6 months.

 

Alternatively you could rent the f4 zoom for small periods over the next 6 months if you don't intend to use it much, but again if you rent it more than $150 dollars worth... you've just eliminated any possible savings.

 

OR! .. OR!

 

if you have a slightly shorter 2.8 zoom you could spend $150 on a used teleconverter to acheive the desired focal range and not bother with losing money reselling the 70-200 F4. Additionally you'll be able to use that same teleconverter to extend the range of your eventual 70-200 2.8! Make sure to look up if your mid-range 2.8 zoom is compatible with teleconverters... because many aren't.

 

My last suggestion involves a weapon and ski masks... but I can't utter it here :)

I'm not sure how it'd work with the D50.. but I've used manual m42 mount lenses on my Canon 300D. It works fine.

 

As long as you can "stop-down" the lens for the camera to meter.. it should work ok.

 

Normally with those lenses you twist the aperture rim.. but the mechanics of the camera only trigger the aperture in the lens at the moment of exposure. In your case you need an adapter that screw the lever in permanent dof preview.. so when you twist the aperture ring.. it meters correctly.

 

It'll be quite annoying to use though...as it will get quite DARK in the viewfinder.

 

You'll have to frame and focus (and there is no split screen focus aid in autofocus cameras, so that will be quite difficult to do accurately), then once you've composed your shot... twist to the desired aperture.. meter and expose.

 

It's a hassle. you'll probably think its novel and fun for the first month.. then sell your manual lenses and get autofocus ones instead.

images being blurred can be a number of things.. ranging from photographer error, to back-focus issues with the camera+ lens, to low light focus innaccuracy. It's hard to answer without testing your lens and technique on other hardware at the store.

 

The TILT: In all likelyhood you're just having trouble judging the slight tilt when looking through the viewfinder which is probably quite dim and small on an e-500, especially if you're using a wide-angle lens.

 

The only way to make sure it's not tilted is to shoot the horizon outdoors (prefereably out into the ocean.. because your picture frame may not be perfectly level).

 

Use a tripod ... attach a "level" on the hotshoe of your camera... that little bubble in liquid that shows if you are exactly level with gravity.

 

If you still get an obvious tilt in your photograph (and remember there will always be some curvature with wide lenses).. something is misaligned inside the camera... and you should get a new one (or repair).

When you have control over the situation (like portraits in a studio) the 50mm 1.8 (or 1.4) lenses are nice to use.

 

During a formal event photography assignment I would leave it at home. Your going to miss "key" shots trying to run around framing everything with a prime lens.

 

Get yourself a good f2.8 mid-range zoom, it'll save you those missed shots trust me. The effective loss in sharpness will be minimal.. and likely not even noticeable on any prints up to 13x19 in size.

Thanks Simon.

 

If I show'd you the full resolution image from the noctilux + Canon 300D.. you'd be quite impressed.

 

The Noctilux is easily just as sharp.. if not sharper than some of the BEST Canon lenses I own.

If you have to... tell them you'll take them to small claims court.

 

If I spent 1500 on a camera... it better be damn perfect for that kind of money... and you should expect the same. (Maybe use that line if you end up talking to the owner of the store).

Do you only use the camera in "auto mode"?

 

I've had my 300D (pretty much the same as the 10D) for over a year now, and I have noticed no change in image quality.. and I've taken thousands of pictures with it.

 

I have however noticed a constant change of quality with regards to the photographer :) Sometimes for the better.. or for the worse.

 

But seriously.. do you know the settings of your camera? Do you leave it on iso 1600 constantly?

 

Don't be insulted by my questions.. you've given no indication of your familiarity with DSLRs, and so I have to assume the simplest problems first.

 

Finally.. if you are confident its not a settings issue... take it to the store (the store you purchased it from)... put it in the EXACT same mode as another 20D demo model they have. If there is a drastic difference in quality... demand they swap it for a working 20D ... raise hell ... don't get caught up in the endless cycle of sending your camera back to canon headquarters... some monkey looks at it.. shoves it back in a box and tells you he fixed it. Demand a NEW 20D... tell them you are a long time Canon user and you expect better quality from a company as renound as theirs. Write a letter... and write down the serial number of your 20D to make sure the "new one" they send you isn't the same one.

Andy,

 

I made a very.. very primitive adapter out of a plastic Canon EOS body cap. It doesn't actually "lock-in" the M lens though.. so I still have to hold it with one of my hands.

 

Of course due to the distance from the sensor (or film plane if you prefer), the M lenses only work as macro...

 

Although the 135mm elmarit because of its telephotoness, actually works almost normally... I just lose infinity focus.

 

Just fun to experiment with Leica M glass on Canon DSLRs.. it's not really the most sensical thing to do on the planet :)

 

And no I have not been able to find a similar "REAL" adapter out in the wild... not even cameraquest seems to have the proper adapter. There isn't really a market for it.

 

With this kind of macro.. you have very little option of framing. with a 50mm lens the focus from 5feet to infinity on an EOS amounts to focusing 2 inches away.. or 1 inch away. So all you can really do is get the desired crop in photoshop afterwards.... or back up to maybe 3 inches if you must and shoot f16 with a flash... but even that doesn't work too well.